Assistant Coordinator, Clark in Madrid

Part-Time Contractual Position in Madrid, Spain

The Clark in Madrid Program, the flagship study abroad program offered by the A. James Clark School of Engineering at the University of Maryland, offers students from the University of Maryland an opportunity to have a culturally immersive and academically rigorous experience through partnerships with the Universidad Pontificia Comillas and the Universidad Carlos III de Madrid.

WHAT ARE WE SEEKING

We are seeking a part-time Assistant Coordinator (AC) to support our students and provide administrative assistance to our Madrid-based Local Coordinator (LC). This position plays a critical role in our support structure designed to ensure the success and well-being of our STEM students. 

Each year we send 150+ STEM students to Madrid on our semester programs where they take a combination of coursework offered at our local university partners as well as those taught by University of Maryland faculty.

The AC serves in a part-time capacity for 3-months each semester with work performed during the following periods:

• January 2 - March 31, 2025
  • January - Early February 8-10 hours/week; two weekend excursions (Fri-Sun) in January
  • Mid-February - March 31: 2-4 hours/week; two weekend excursions/activities (Sat-Sun)
• August 15 - October 31, 2025
  • Mid-August - Late September: 6-8 hours/week; one weekend excursion (Fri-Sun) in late August
  • Late September - October 31: 2-3 hours/week; one weekend excursion/activity (Sat-Sun) in October

COMPENSATION

The AC will receive a total of $8,000 USD (or equivalent in Euros at time of transfer--~€7,260 at current rates) for an estimated 250 hours of labor over the contract period. This rate comes to ~$32/hour (or ~€29). 

The compensation is paid in two installments after the duties have been complete based on the following schedule:

• $5,000 for work performed between January 1, 2025 – March 31, 2025
• $3,000 for work performed between August 15, 2025 – October 30, 2025
  • Meals, transportation, and hotel during excursions outside Madrid will be covered by the University of Maryland.

There is additional compensation available depending on one’s qualifications for co-facilitating an Intergroup Dialogue course. Once trained, the AC will receive an additional  $2000 (or ~ €1815) for facilitating the dialogue as described below. The administrative support for the dialogue program is included in the normal compensation.

HOW TO APPLY

To apply, please provide a CV/resume to dillehay@umd.edu. A cover letter is optional. We plan to conduct interviews in Madrid with highly qualified candidates between October 15-17. SUBMISSIONS ARE DUE NO LATER THAN MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 30 BY 12 NOON MADRID TIME.

MORE ABOUT THE ROLE    

This part-time AC acts as an independent contractor at the direction of the Director in the Office of Global Engineering Leadership and the full-time LC. The AC is responsible for supporting the LC in ensuring the physical, mental, and academic well-being of the students participating in the program.

The selected candidate will be operating as an independent contractor under contract with the University of Maryland and will be expected to perform the following duties:

• Student Services Responsibilities: The part-time AC will support the full-time LC by providing administrative support to the Clark in Madrid Program during the established work periods. They will partner to arrange orientation activities and a number of day trips and overnight group excursions. In addition, they will act as a resource for students as they acclimate during their time in Spain.
• Health, and Safety Responsibilities: The AC will provide support to the LC in managing health and safety response. During a maximum of two weeks per year, while the LC is on leave, they will act as the primary point of contact and respond to emergencies according to the Emergency Action Plans of the University of Maryland and follow UMD’s Risk Management Protocols.
• Intergroup Dialogue Facilitation (Optional): If qualified, the AC will have an opportunity to receive training in intergroup dialogue pedagogy and co-facilitate ENES138 with an experienced instructor.  ENES138 is a dialogue-based course which explores how our personal and social identities shape who we are, the history of engineering and how it has advanced exclusion, and how engineers can promote equity by adopting inclusive engineering design practices. No technical knowledge is needed to instruct this course. ~15 hours of training will be provided, along with a syllabus and lesson plans.

QUALIFICATIONS:

Required Qualifications:

• Professional working level proficiency in both English and Spanish (C1)
• Bachelor’s Degree
• Eligible candidates must have the ability to live and work legally in Madrid, Spain
• The selected candidate must be able to work as an independent contractor and will be responsible for furnishing their own cell phone, data plan, and laptop in order to fulfill duties of the consulting agreement

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience working with high school or university age students
• Experience in the field of international education
• Familiarity with US and Spanish higher education academic cultural differences

Maryland Engineering

The A. James Clark School of Engineering at the University of Maryland serves as the catalyst for high-quality research, innovation, and learning, preparing our students to create innovations that will address the 21st century Grand Challenges (e.g., energy, environment, security, and human health) and improve the human condition. The Clark School is dedicated to leading and transforming the engineering discipline and profession, to accelerating entrepreneurship, and to transforming research and learning activities into new innovations that benefit millions. Maryland Engineering enrolls over 3700 undergraduate students across 11 majors and 8 departments.